Premiership Rugby, the Rugby Players Association (RPA), Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR) and Rugby Football Union (RFU) came together in the City of London on Tuesday evening to celebrate the contributions of England’s top male and female players.
Following Wasps’ final game in the Premier 15s, captain Liz Crake, interim head coach Oli Bishop, and club legend Helen Harding paid tribute to their final season and the legacy that is being left behind.
After 38 years playing top-flight women’s rugby Wasps bowed out in style with a gutsy performance against Bristol Bears, in the final round of the Premier 15s regular season, surrounded by generations of Wasps and their families. It was a day which truly encapsulated the club’s motto “Once a Wasp, always a Wasp” from start to finish.
16 rounds of the Premier 15s played. Two remain. It’s almost closing time. Gloucester-Hartpury, Exeter Chiefs, Saracens, and – in all likelihood – Bristol Bears have nabbed themselves invites to the after-party: a helter-skelter double header of do-or-die, foot-to-the-floor rugby.
As Wasps savoured their moment of magic, a concurrent plot played out. Yes, they had de-bagelled themselves in the standings–but they were also en route to shipping nine tries, and finding themselves with just five matches left in the league.
Whether it’s Gloucester-Hartpury Women standing strong atop the league, the traditional team to beat Saracens Women barely inside the top four or Wasps Women diving down to ninth, this league table looks nothing like a casual fan might expect.
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This season for Wasps Women, there has been a double whammy of punches to the gut, which meant at one point in time over the summer, the team had only six players with penned contracts. Here's their captain's perspective.
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